From 30 June to 25 August 2023, artists can apply for 11 Regional Challenges as part of the S+T+ARTS in the City project. The Belgian Regional S+T+ARTS Centre GLUON, in collaboration with Innoviris, is launching four thematic open calls for artists. The challenge Going Wild in the City explores how can we create more awareness that values the interconnectedness and interdependence of all living beings in the city?
Challenge Description
While our modern cities may appear to distance us from nature, it has always remained an integral part of the urban landscape. Through this residency, we aim to raise citizens’ awareness about the significance, variety, and resilience of natural life thriving or surviving in the Brussels region. By leveraging various digital technologies, artists can uncover and defend the wild side of the city and shed light on the vital role it plays in our lives. Ranging from urban forests, to accommodating wildlife to stopping the use of pesticides to letting plants in parks grow uncontrolled and strips of land along railway lines such as Wiels Marais in Brussels are just a few examples of rewilding types within the urban sprawl. These areas harbour flourishing animal and plant populations, offering a glimpse into the remarkable biodiversity that persists amidst concrete and steel. As we confront the challenges posed by climate change, it becomes crucial to investigate the multifaceted values — be they political, cultural, economical, or recreational — associated with nature in the city. In this residency we invite artists to envision future scenarios that explore the concept of ownership in public spaces, not just limited to humans but encompassing inter-species perspectives.
Residency Characteristics
During the residency the artist will be supported by a Local expert Group composed of local and international practitioners from the fields of urban studies, policy, digital technology, and the Arts. The residency partners are 1) The National Lottery 2) Innoviris, a public organisation that funds and supports research and innovation in the Brussels—Capital Region and 3) Regional S+T+ARTS Center Gluon. We search for proposals that address the design and adoption of digital technologies, to be balanced with the need to ensure sustainable development, considering the environmental, social, and economic impacts of digitalization.
What do we offer?
The budget for each residency is 40.000€, including artwork production and artist fee. Throughout the residencies, the residency support network will offer the necessary expertise and support from experts affiliated to research institutions, universities, university colleges, innovative companies and start—ups (supporting network).
The result of the residency will be shown in the partner institutions of the S+T+ARTS in the City network including the exhibition at Sónar Barcelona, Ars Electronica Festival and/or the I Love Science Festival in Brussels in 2024.
